Hall, Alaric (2007) The Etymology and Meanings of Eldritch. Scottish Language, 26. pp. 16-22. ISSN 0264 0198
Full text available as:![[img]](http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/style/images/fileicons/text.png)
|
Text
EldritchEtymology.pdf Available under License : See the attached licence file. Download (132Kb) |
Abstract
'The Etymology and Meanings of Eldritch' argues against the traditional derivation of eldritch from Old English *ælf-rīce (‘elf’ + ‘dominion, sphere of influence’), arguing that the etymology is rather *æl-rīce~el-rīce, the first element meaning ‘foreign, strange; from elsewhere’, and the whole therefore meaning ‘other world’. The key evidence is the variant spellings of eldritch in Older Scots texts cannot regularly be accommodated by *ælf- but can be accomodated by the prefix *æl-~el-. The article develops this point by showing that the putative origin of eldritch in ælf- seems to have influenced the definitions of eldritch given both in the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue and in more recent scholarship: its connotations of elves and elvishness have in some circumstances been overplayed, and the more general meaning of ‘otherworldly’ is to be preferred.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts (Leeds) > School of English (Leeds) |
| Depositing User: | Dr Alaric Hall |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Oct 2008 14:25 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Feb 2013 17:05 |
| Status: | Published |
| Publisher: | The Association for Scottish Literary Studies |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/4726 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
